Middlesbrough FC 1-0 Rotherham: Stewart Downing the matchwinner for Boro who make it three league wins on the bounce

Rotherham United are the visitors to the Riverside as Boro look to make it three wins on the bounce in the Championship.

While Boro go into the game on the back of that routine victory over Charlton on Saturday, Neil Redfearn's side are five games without a win and in desperate need of points.

Aitor Karanka has warned his players against complacency against the league's basement boys.

21:40Dominic Shaw

Elsewhere

Wins for Derby, Burnley and Hull - again.

It really is relentless at the top of the Championship.

Brighton remain unbeaten after picking up an impressive point at in-form Sheffield Wednesday.

After those results tonight it’s on to Saturday and a trip to table-topping Hull City.

All the reaction coming up on GazetteBoro in the next hour or so.

Thanks for following the blog tonight.

21:37Dominic Shaw

Full-time: Boro 1-0 Rotherham United

Three points, three wins on the bounce in the Championship?

Pretty? Nope. Entertaining? Nope. But Boro have the win, although it turned into quite a grind in the end.

Stewart Downing’s first half goal separates the sides, Boro continue to apply pressure at the top of the table.

21:34Dominic Shaw

Boro chance

Stewart Downing got the goal to give Boro their lead here, and he could have added a second just now.

Boro’s best on the night picked up the loose ball in the box, shaped to shoot with his left before cutting it back and blazing a right-footed strike over the bar.

We’re 60 seconds into three minutes of stoppage time here.

21:31Dominic Shaw

Rotherham change

Final change of the night for the visitors, Chris Maguire replacing Tony Andreu, who hasn’t had a bad game for Rotherham.

21:30Dominic Shaw

Great Boro chance

Now it’s Fabbrini’s turn to have the chance to wrap this game up.

Great work from Emilio Nsue down the right to beat his man and cross to the little Italian, who was unmarked at the back post and should have buried his close-range volley but couldn’t keeo his effort down.

Nervous? You're not the only one

Off the post!

George Friend had bombed forward to join the attack and lashed a strike which rebounded off the near post and away to safety for the visitors.

A second half of absolute nothingness comes to life with two great chances in two minutes.

21:27Dominic Shaw

What a chance - for Rotherham

The Millers should really be level, and Fernando Amorebieta can take a huge sigh of relief.

The defender, who has been immaculate recently, dawdled on the ball on the edge of his box and was caught out by Bowery who should have punished Boro but instead made a mess of his effort and sliced it wide.

Best chance of the game for Rotherham.

21:22Dominic Shaw

Boro change

Never mind the fact Fabbrini is coming on, he’s got ORANGE boots on!!

Diego, nooooo?! Those black boots are one of the highlights of the season so far.

He’s changed.

Anyway, he’s on in place of Grant Leadbitter. Like for like swap.

21:19Dominic Shaw

Half chance for Boro

Leadbitter’s playing in that advanced role now and he had a chance to extend Boro’s lead.

Albert’s cross from the right found Leadbitter unmarked but Boro’s skipper just couldn’t make enough contact with the ball to worry Camp, who saved comfortably.

75 on the clock, 1-0. Still.

21:17Dominic Shaw

Rotherham change

Former Villa man Jordan Bowery is on for Rotherham with the visitors clinging on in there in this game.

The 24-year-old striker has only scored once this year and that came in the Capital One Cup.

What a time this would be for him to get off the mark in the league for the Millers.

He’s on for Danny Ward, who’s been rather ineffective tonight.

21:15Dominic Shaw

Live pic

Facial expressions.

21:15Dominic Shaw

Final 20 minutes

Farrend Rawson was almost looking down at the Riverside turf hoping it would open and swallow him up.

The young defender made a mess of a poor cross from the right and almost diverted it into his own net.

Rawson, by the way, is the defender who cost Rotherham three points last year.

Actually, that’s been harsh on the Derby stopper, it wasn’t his fault personally. But he was the ineligible player who appeared for the Millers, resulting in the points deduction that had them sweating over their Championship status.

21:12Dominic Shaw

Action packed? Not quite

Oh lord, I hope not.

21:11Dominic Shaw

Boro change

Bruno Zuculini is on in place of Carlos de Pena for Boro with Grant Leadbitter pushing forward into the No.10 role and Stewart Downing occupying the left flank.

‘Grant, do you like playing in that more advanced role?’

‘That’s football.’

21:08Dominic Shaw

Elsewhere

Fulham, who have enjoyed an up-turn in results in recent weeks, have pulled a goal back at Burnley.

Another one would be most welcome.

21:07Dominic Shaw

Rotherham change

With the visitors chasing the game, Neil Redfearn has made his first change of the night.

Joe Newell is on in place of Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Harris will no doubt have been asked to buzz about Boro’s defence tonight and make it difficult for them. In truth, he hasn’t had much of an impact,

21:05Dominic Shaw

Boro chance

Best opportunity of the second half for Boro just now, involving all of the three players who are playing behind David Nugent.

Albert Adomah crossed from the right, Downing hooked a left boot around the deep cross to put it back in the mixer and Carlos de Pena headed just over.

Unlucky. Lee Camp was scampering across his line to make it and would have been in trouble if it was a couple of inches lower.

de Pena has enjoyed his best display in a Boro shirt tonight, he’s looked livelier and much more of a threat than he has in recent appearances.

Carlos de Pena against Fulham

21:00Dominic Shaw

Approaching the hour mark

And Rotherham are showing a bit more intent that they did in the first half.

Neil Redfearn was talking this week about the need to hang on in there in games in which they only trail by a single goal.

They’re doing that here and Boro are yet to really trouble them in the second half.

There will come a point where they’ll have to take a calculated risk or two if they want to find a leveller, though.

20:57Dominic Shaw

In the book

First yellow of the evening and it goes to Rotherham United’s Tom Thorpe.

The midfielder was late as he clattered into George Friend.

How dare he!!Thorpe didn’t escape unpunished, Tierney was straight on the scene to flash the yellow.

20:54Dominic Shaw

Slight scare for Boro

A warning that this game is far from over.

Corner from the right should have been routine enough for Boro’s defence - but it wasn’t.

Andreu’s cross almost reached the experience centre-half Danny Collins who had gone forward for the set-piece but Boro managed to scramble it clear.

The visitors looking a bit more settled in the second half. Boro have threatened but Albert Adomah was flagged offside after running beyond the Rotherham defence.

51 gone.

20:51Dominic Shaw

Attendance

Good crowd in at the Riverside tonight - 21,144, including 271 Rotherham fans.

Impressive considering only 19,400 tickets had been sold at 4pm time today.

20:48Dominic Shaw

Back underway

Right, teams back, out ready to go in the second half.

No changes for either side at the break - on we go with the second 45 minutes.

20:44Dominic Shaw

As things stand

The golden two points per game average.

20:39Dominic Shaw

Elsewhere at the break

Around the grounds in the Championship:

Birmingham 0-0 Blackburn

Brentford 0-0 Hull

Bristol City 1-0 Wolves

Burnley 2-0 Fulham

Derby 0-0 QPR

Ipswich 1-0 Bolton

Leeds 0-0 Cardiff

MK Dons 1-0 Charlton

Preston 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Brighton

Reading 1-2 Huddersfield

20:38Dominic Shaw

Will Boro pick up the points?

Confident at the break?

20:35Dominic Shaw

The goalscorer

On the subject of Downing.

20:34Dominic Shaw

HALF-TIME: Boro 1-0 Rotherham United

The Downing shot - at least it was for the first 25 minutes.

Boro cruising here, yet to be troubled at the back and should really have been more than a goal to the good.

Second goal needed to avoid any nervy, stomach fluttering moments in the second half.

Solid first half.

20:33Dominic Shaw

Former player

Bend it like McMahon.....

20:30Dominic Shaw

Boro go close

Albert Adomah almost made up for his skywards effort from a few minutes ago with a fizzing strike from distance just now.

The winger was well advanced in support of David Nugent, who touched it back to him. Adomah tapped it out of his feet before pulling the trigger with his effort only just racing wide of the near post.